I see it the opposite way around. Obama had been promising new blood and change the whole time he's been campaigning, then he selects an old school
established running mate. Seems as if his promises are down the toilet now.

Remind yourself how the election works. The person who gets the most electoral votes wins. It's not a national popularity contest like the MSM
would have you believe. There are about 10 states that are going to make the difference.

Among those states is Pennsylvania. If Obama doesn't win PA, he doesn't win. It's that simple. Obama got hammered in the PA primary. Obama also
lost the Ohio primary. Obama also totally dissed Michigan by taking his name off the ballot. These are also states that were the subject of Obama's
"bitter" and "cling to their guns and religion" comments.

These are also states that take their gun rights seriously. Obama is on the wrong side of the gun issue. He isn't fooling anybody with his
rhetoric.

Now let's talk about Gov. Palin and Sen. McCain.

McCain has 23 years experience as a naval officer. Obama has none.
McCain has 26 years experience in the Senate. Obama has 4.
McCain is a moderate Republican. Obama is a liberal Democrat.
McCain is white. Obama is black.
McCain selected a conservative, pro-life, pro gun, female for the VP.
Obama selected a lifetime Washington politician for VP.

Now you tell me, which candidate do you think is going to appeal to the white, blue-collar, middle class voters in these "swing" states?

Keep in mind that Kerry only won Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Minnesota by 3%, and Wisconsin by 1%.

Kerry lost Ohio outright.

Obama needs to win all the states Kerry won, plus Ohio. Or, Obama needs to win some of the western states Kerry lost. This isn't likely considering
McCain/Palin is a western ticket.

So how is Obama going to win?

Is he going to pull out Ohio? Not likely. People in Ohio are going to LOVE Gov. Palin. Gov. Palin on the ticket has energized the Republican base
like no other VP candidate could have.

And don't forget that Obama's base has been crumbling ever since his FISA vote. He ran on being a different kind of politician and he attracted
millions of people who believed him. These people were left scratching their heads on the FISA vote and on his selection of lifelong Washington
bureaucrat Joe Biden as a running mate.

And don't underestimate the power of talk radio to rile up the Republican base. Hannity and Limbaugh LOVE Gov. Palin as the VP. They will be 100%
on board with getting people to vote for McCain/Palin in the next two months.

A worse sign yet for Obama is that he only got 26% of the vote in West Virginia. TWENTY-SIX PERECENT! That's an unheard of number for front runner
to get at the end of the election. And Obama only received 32% of the vote in Puerto Rico, and lost Texas by 100,000 votes. Not a good sign when it
comes to the Hispanic vote.

And one more thing... there are a LOT of Hillary supporters in PA that are absolutely never going to vote for Obama. And a lot of them WILL vote for
McCain. Do the math. Kerry only won PA by 3%. Hillary clobbered Obama in PA and OH winning by over 200,000 votes in each state.

The selection of Sarah Palin as the Vice Presidential nominee does a number of things for the McCain campaign, all of them good --

1. It begins to close the energy gap. The biggest problem for the GOP this year is that Obama devotees were vastly more energized than McCain
supporters. Even though polling looked close, the other side was more excited about their candidate. The Palin pick will help Republicans to catch up,
exciting the party’s base – particularly religious conservatives.
2. It underscores the best issues for McCain – drilling for oil and cutting government waste. Palin’s obviously an expert on energy production
(taxpayers in her state get yearly government checks because of it) at the same time she’s won credibility taking on big oil companies. She’s also
been tight-fisted (and veto prepared) when it comes to cutting spending.
3. She emphasizes McCain’s credibility as a reformer. She’s clearly identified with the reform wing of the notoriously corrupt Alaska Republican
Party. McCain owned the title “reformer” in 2000 – with his talk of cleaning up lobbyist influence and special interests in Washington. No he
should recapture the designation and make the most powerful and important point of this election cycle: you can’t clean up government by expanding
it. The only way to fight government corruption is to shrink government, not grow it. McCain and Palina re the right team to go to Washington to drain
the swamp and give back the people’s money – not to expand the bureaucracy with dozens of ambitious new federal programs.
4. Palin allows Republicans to compete on the novelty front. One of Barack’s biggest advantages has been the widespread sense of wonderment he
inspires: “I can’t believe we can really elect a black guy on a national ticket!” Now McCainiacs can claim a miracle of our own, as we pinch our
delirious selves: “I can’t believe we can really elect a woman on a national ticket – and a conservative woman at that!”
5. The choice should help to reassure grumblers on the right who have insisted that McCain isn’t a “real conservative.” For these folks, the
Arizona Senator’s lifetime rating of 82.3% from the American Conservative Union was never enough (Obama’s number is 8%, and Biden’s is 13%).
Along with his pro-life, pro-gun, never-supported-a-tax increase voting record, McCain now shows that in the most important decision of his political
career he reaches to the right, not to the center. Sure, he offered praise for his friends Lieberman and Ridge (talk is free, after all) but when it
counted to define his legacy, to launch his administration, he selected one of the nation’s most conservative governors – and a stalwart leader on
the human life issue. More than anything else, this shows McCain’s true political identity, and should reinforce his promise to appoint Justices
like Alito and Roberts, Scalia and Thomas.
6. Yes, this undermines McCain’s future use of the experience issue, but that’s almost certainly a good thing, too. The experience issue has never
worked well in presidential elections: Gerald Ford tried it against a one-term Governor of Georgia (the worthless Jimmy Carter) and lost; Carter tried
it against Reagan (no foreign policy experience as Governor of California!) and got wiped out; George H.W. Bush tried to make it stick against Bill
Clinton and the result was the lowest percentage of the vote for a Republican candidate since Wiliam Howard Taft. The line McCain’s been using
“He’s Not Ready to Lead” is still viable – and should emphasize a discussion of Obama’s policies, not his job history—his radicalism, not
his resume. Meanwhile, we should invite comparisons of Governor Palin’s experience with Obama’s: won’t the PTA connect more with middle class
voters than “community organizer,” and property tax-cutting small town mayor count more than slippery State Senator who voted “present” a
disquieting proportion of the time. In any event, both tickets now balance experience with youthful energy – but McCain is balancing it the right
way, with the experience at the top.
7. The televised Vice Presidential Debate in October suddenly becomes an important media event, and offers more risks for Joe Biden than Sarah Palin.
If the GOP had nominated a “boring old white guy” (Romney, Lieberman, Ridge, or even Pawlenty—who’s not old) few viewers would have tuned in.
The novelty of a young, attractive female taking on grizzled Joe Biden will give this debate special juice. The expectations for Palin are so low she
should have no difficulty (if well prepared) in exceeding them. Moreover, Biden can’t fire back contemptuously the way Lloyd Bentsen did against Dan
Quayle because Palin is a sympathetic female. Republican Rick Lazio lost the Senatorial election against Hillary when he tried to be too tough and
confrontational in the debate. Palin, on the other hand, can surprise the world by being as aggressive as possible against Biden --- after all, her
nickname on her state championship high school basketball team (she was point guard) was “Sarah Barracuda.”

On Sunday, along with the rest of the Republican world, I get on a plane to travel to St. Paul. Suddenly, my attitude toward the journey has become
more than dutiful --- like so many others, I feel vastly more eager, pumped, energized, optimistic about the Republican Convention. In an election
that’s all about energy shortages and potential energy shortages, the Governor of Alaska has given the best possible birthday gift to John
McCain.

Gov. Palin has the Republican base energized, excited, and believing that McCain finally is acting like a Republican.

The Republicans won in 2000 and 2004, and probably would have beaten Clinton in 1992 had not Perot taken 18% of the vote. So in other words, since
1980 when Reagan was first elected, if not for Ross Perot, the country would have elected a Republican POTUS every time.

Now fast forward to 2008. Bush has a horrible approval rating, and the Democrats just completed their convention extravaganza capped with Barry O.s'
prime time speech....

And yet look at your sig... even after all this, Barry O. only leads in the polls by what? 7% in the national poll?

I watched the Dem debates. Obama sucked against Clinton. I watched the Republican debates. I couldn't stand McCain, but he kicked ass in the
debates. Gov. Palin is new, exciting, and represents CHANGE. Obama/Biden represent same old, same old.

Figure out the rest of the story.

If McCain and Palin win, you will be able to look back on the day the tape of Obama calling the PA voters "bitter" and "clinging to their guns and
religion" as the turning point. That's the day the entire election shifted. Look up the polling for yourself. After that day, Clinton cleaned
Obama's clock in almost every primary.

See I think she's great. She is like the authentic American quintessential white woman, a little simple but with correct instincts (like Reagan, some
people have the luck to want what is in their interest, without developing a full-on intellectual rationale which is actually an immune response to
disease/irritation). She is like Snow White pre-poison-apple, whereas Hillary is like the witchy stepmother (lips the same color as those apples) who
got those special apples so she can make pie for everybody in the village...

I think the biggest thing here is that Palin is basically a UNKNOWN at this time. I don't know a damn thing about here other then first impressions
(The current scandle)

But like i said.. I don't like any of them.. And wish there really was a alternative choice.

I think this little artical says much

ST. PAUL - A day after John McCain stunned the nation by announcing that he had selected Governor Sarah Palin of Alaska as his running mate, women
across the nation were taking in the news, trying to absorb the idea that this little-known governor with a fascinating story and an almost impossibly
short record could become the first female vice president.

But she worried about McCain's motivations. "I hope they didn't do it because they think women are stupid enough to vote for her just because
she's a woman," she said.

Originally posted by wolfmanjack
I think the biggest thing here is that Palin is basically a UNKNOWN at this time. I don't know a damn thing about here other then first impressions
(The current scandle)

Well then you're in for a pleasant surprise.

Gov. Palin is the real deal. While Obama blathers on about "Change you can believe in" anybody whose brain is still functioning realizes by now
it's just a campaign slogan. If you doubt this, go back and review Obama's FISA vote and his previous pledge to filibuster the bill.

The real coup pulled off by McCain is that he was able to get somebody who GENUINELY represents what Obama has been claiming as his -CHANGE.

It's like a fascinating psychological chess game. Obama blinked when he picked Biden instead of Clinton. If he picks Clinton they would have won 35
states.

By not picking Clinton, Obama left the door open for McCain to position himself as the REAL candidate for change.

The question though is this.. Who (Obama/McCain) do you think would follow this the best?

"I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability,
preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."

Bush and Bush sr failed to honor this oath, Both the Clintons Failed also..So did Regan.

As for McCain.. I think my biggest gripe against the guy is about his questionable military record.. Granted..... Its hard to find out the truth about
any of these people now days what with all the misinformation etc that the Main stream Media pumps out every day.

Aside from McCains (100+ years in Iraq) and the Questions about his Military record i would vote for him.. Before i voted for Obama..

Quite frankly. If i had the slightest idea that any of them would uphold their oath i would vote for them.. But so far i have failed to see anything
that would make me believe they would.

The only one who i have seen any evidence of this is Ron paul.. But he isn't even running anymore.

LOL Jamie83, you called McCain a moderate republican. Hahaha, what? He's as far right as Palin. The only "change" they want is to repeal Roe v
Wade.

100+ years in Iraq? yawn more of the same
More oil drilling? yawn more of the same
Crap economy? yawn more of the same

It is clear what the American people want, the republicans completely out of every branch of Government. Once the liberals take over the executive
branch, eventually through attrition, we'll have the judicial branch as well.

But when it comes down to it all, who can provide the most change? Republicans are conservative. Conservatism means more of the same. And both
Palin and McCain are as conservative as they come. Democrats are liberal. Liberals look for reform. Obama and Biden are the true reformers here.
McCaint doesn't stand a chance.

edit: clearly I'm generalizing above, because I'd have voted for Ron Paul as well, since I only vote on social/economy/US issues. I don't care
about the rest of the world and I believe we should go back to isolation personally.

Originally posted by Jbalon
LOL Jamie83, you called McCain a moderate republican. Hahaha, what? He's as far right as Palin. The only "change" they want is to repeal Roe v
Wade.

Not true at all, and actually a real display of ignorance on your part. Did you ever hear of the McCain-Feingold bill? How about McCain-Kennedy?
Obama and Biden are the true reformers here. McCaint doesn't stand a chance.

You are 100% wrong again. Obama and Biden have no record of reforming anything. In fact, Obama just voted FOR the FISA bill he promised to
filibuster.

And Obama is the first POTUS candidate NOT to participate in the public funding of his campaign even though he pledged he would.

McCain, on the other hand, DOES have a record of reform. He co-sponsored and championed the bill to reform campaign finance. He co-sponsored the
bill to reform the immigration laws, giving 20 million illegal aliens a chance to get documented.

And now McCain has chosen a true Washington outsider as his VP.

You are long on parroting Dem talking points and short on facts. McCain is far from done. He only needs to win the solid red states and win Ohio OR
Pennsylvania. With the resentment for Obama here, McCain/Palin might win BOTH.

I think he will do great, (here comes the sarcasm...) especially if he appoints Snuffleupagus for Secretary of State, the logic being Vice President
Palin can entertain all her children before soccer/hockey practice.

Personally, I think McCain stands a chance because of the still living Racism.

The racism towards black people that I still see today and the Racism towards middle-eastern people. There is also the the hatred of Muslims that was
sparked by 9/11 and the Bush administration.

Then there are those who are afraid of change. They don't know where Obama will lead them, so they would like to continue with McCain so they
actually know what they will most likely face in the future.

I am not saying I support Obama or McCain, I am merely telling you the voice of the people who are around me. Though they might not be the smartest
people, they are still a large factor in this upcoming election.

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